Western Ghats

The Western Ghats are a mountain range in India. They run along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separate the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The range starts south of the Tapti River near the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra, and runs approximately 1600 km through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, to the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. The average elevation is around 900 meters. This range is also known as Sahyadri mountains in Maharashtra and north Karnataka and Malabar in Kerala.

Mountain range

Higher peaks occur in the northern section of the range in Maharashtra, notably Kalsubai 1646 m (5427 ft), Mahabaleshwar 1438 m (4710 ft) and Harishchandragarh 1424 m (4691 ft); in southwest Karnataka, notably Kudremukh at 1862 m (6,109 ft) and Mullayanagiri at 1925 m (6,317 ft); and in the southern part of the range, with Anai Mudi in Kerala at 2695 meters (8,842 ft) being the highest peak in the Western Ghats. Chembra Peak in Kerala at 2100 m, Banasura Peak in Kerala at 2073 m and Vellarimala in Kerala at 2200 meters. The only major gaps in the range are the Goa gap, between the Maharashtra and Karnataka sections, and the Palghat Gap that joins Tamil Nadu to Kerala. Smaller ranges, including the Nilgiri Hills (with Doddabetta being the highest peak at 2623 meters) of northwestern Tamil Nadu and Biligirirangans southeast of Mysore in Karnataka, meet the Shevaroys (Servarayan range) and Tirumala range farther east, linking the Western Ghats to the Eastern Ghats. These ranges of hills serve as important wildlife corridors, allowing species like elephants to move between the ranges.

The northern portion of the narrow coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is known as the Konkan Coast or simply Konkan, and the southern portion is called Malabar or the Malabar Coast. The foothill region east of the Ghats in Maharashtra is known as Desh, while the eastern foothills of central Karnataka state is known as the Malnad region. The largest city within the mountains is the city of Pune, in the Desh region on the eastern edge of the range.

The mountains intercept the rain-bearing westerly monsoon winds, and are consequently an area of high rainfall, particularly on their western side. The dense forests also contribute to the precipitation of the area by acting as a substrate for condensation of moist rising (orographic) winds from the sea, and releasing much of the moisture back into the air via transpiration, allowing it to later condense and fall again as rain.

The westward-facing slopes receive much more rain than the eastward-facing slopes, and the Western Ghats are considerably wetter than the dry Deccan to the east. The Western Ghats form the most important watershed for peninsular India, the plentiful rain giving rise to numerous streams, with many waterfalls, which form the headwaters of both the short rivers that run to the Arabian Sea and the great perennial rivers of the Deccan, including the Godavari River, Krishna River, Kaveri River and their tributaries, which empty into the Bay of Bengal.

These rivers provide the water for agriculture and drinking to all the major cities downstream including the cities of Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai. Many of these rivers and streams are threatened by pollution from mining, agricultural and urban runoff, coffee pulp effluents and other human activity. There has recently been a strong movement to curb mining operations in the Western Ghats, as this is one of the global Biodiversity hotspots. One standing example of such a campaign is the one in Kudremukh, where iron ore is mined, and the river Kali is used to transport ore.

Rain Forests

Historically the Western Ghats were well-covered in dense forests. In the south they contain the only rainforests of southern India. These forests are home to an interesting and diverse fauna and flora, many of them showing affinities to the Malayan region, but are increasingly threatened by human activity. Several national parks and other protected areas lie within the range, but it is estimated that only a small fraction of the Western Ghats remains in pristine condition. The Silent Valley National Park in Kerala is considered by many to be the last tracts of virgin tropical evergreen forest in India.

Flora and Fauna

Biogeographers have long recognized the distinctive plant and animal communities of the Western Ghats. Many of these faunal and floral elements are not found anywhere else in India except in parts of northeastern India. The Western Ghats are also home to many endemic species, and the endemism is especially high in the amphibian and reptilian fauna. The snake family Uropeltidae is almost entirely restricted to and diversified in this region of the world. The frog Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis was discovered in 2003 as being a living fossil. This species of frog is most closely related to species found in the Seychelles. Some Western Ghats streams are home to a freshwater puffer fish Tetraodon travancoria apart from marine forms like Chelonodon patoca (Buchanan-Hamilton,1822) ^*.

The Western Ghats are ecologically distinct from the drier regions to the north and east, but can be further divided into four ecoregions. The northern portion of the range is generally drier than the southern portion, and at lower elevations makes up the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests ecoregion, with mostly deciduous forests made up predominantly of teak (Tectona grandis) and dipterocarps. Above 1000 meters elevation are the cooler and wetter North Western Ghats montane rain forests, whose evergreen forests are characterized by trees of family Lauraceae. The northern portion of the ghats is found in the states of Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The evergreen Wayanad forests of Kerala mark the transition zone between the northern and southern ecoregions of the Western Ghats. The southern ecoregions are generally wetter and more species-rich. At lower elevations are the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, with Cullenia is the characteristic tree genus, accompanied by teak, dipterocarps, and other trees. These moist forests transition to the drier South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests to the east, in the mountains' rain shadow. Above 1000 meters are the South Western Ghats montane rain forests, also cooler and wetter than the surrounding lowland forests, and dominated by evergreen trees, although some montane grasslands and stunted forests can be found at the highest elevations. The South Western Ghats montane rain forests are the most species-rich ecoregion in peninsular India; eighty percent of the flowering plant species of the entire Western Ghats range are found in this ecoregion. It also harbors the highest levels of endemism: 35 % of the plants, 42 % of the fishes, 48 % of the reptiles, and 75 % of the amphibians that live in this ecoregion are endemic. Still higher, above elevations of 1600 m MSL are seen the shola-grassland mosaic, which are habitats exclusive to the Western Ghats.

Distinct ranges

Western Ghats of Maharashtra

The Western Ghats of Maharashtra spread from Saputara range in north, and continues past Goa to Karnataka. In ancient times it was annual migration route of elephants to travel from Nigiris past Goa into western ghats of maharashtra. Over time it has stopped. There are many forts built in 1500 AD and before. Many of the forts were built by Shivajiraje Bhosle. Raigad, Rajgad, Torana, Pratapgad, Panhala are to name a few. Some are still tourist attractions and while others are lost in time. The first hydroelectric power station in India was started by Tata in early 1900 near Khopoli, a town near Lonawala in western Ghats. It is still functioning. There are many dams in that region.

Western Ghats of Goa

Western Ghats of Karnataka

60% of the western ghats are located in the Karnataka region. Most of Karnataka's 500 species of birds are also from the western ghats region. The evergreen forests of Nagarahole, Biligirirangan Hills, Maha Madeshvara hills, deciduous forests of Bandipur National Park and Nugu in Karnataka and adjoining regions of Wayanad and Mudumalai in Kerala and Tamil Nadu form the single largest protected area in the Western ghats system comprising some 6000 km². This is also called the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. This is asiatic elephant country and a very important "Project Elephant" reserve. Karnataka's ghats are home to over 6000 elephants (2004). Probably the largest population of tigers outside the Sundarbans ecosystem is found in these contiguous forests. Here the largest numbers and largest herds of Gaur bison are found. Bandipur National Park and Nagarahole together boast of over 5000 Gaur. Biligirirangan hills sits at the confluence of the western and eastern ghats and is hence home to unique ecosystems present in both ranges. Karnataka's ghats holds about 25% of all asiatic elephants and 10% of India's tiger population. North of this region is the Kudremukh national park in the central region of Karnataka's western ghats. Kudremukh National Park has one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Western Ghats, encompassing evergreen, semi-evergreen and grassland shola habitat characteristic of high altitude Western Ghats regions. This park protects a viable population of Lion tailed macacque. The forests of Kodagu hold sizeable populations of the endangered Nilgiri Langur and have numerous bird species. This region has dense evergreen and semi-evergreen vegetation, with shola-grassland in areas of higher elevation. The steep terrain of the area has resulted in scenic waterfalls along its many mountain streams. Bhadra WLS and national park in Chikmagalur has large populations of Indian muntjac (barking deer). Dandeli and Anshi national parks in Uttara Kannada district are home to the elusive Black Panther and large populations of great hornbills. These large birds congregate even near human habitation inside the park regularly. Bhimgad in Belgaum district is a proposed WLS and is home to the indegenous Wroughton freetailed bat(Otomops wroughtoni), the Krishnapur caves close by are one of only three places in the country where the little-known Theobalds tomb bat, (Taphozous theobaldi) is found. The rare Megaderma spasma bats are found in the Talevadi caves. Karnataka's ghats are also the home to several scenic waterfalls including the Jog falls. With the exception of four WLS, all the remaining 22 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of Karnataka ae located in its ghats system, either at the evergreen higher elevations or lower elevation deciduous ranges.

Western Ghats of Kerala

References

Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et. al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press; Washington, DC.
Trek the Sahyadris Harish Kapadia

External links

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